Parsimony Isn't Bad

Wordy Wednesday

From: DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL. ©2009 ImageMovers Digital LLC.

"I, see you Mr. Scrooge."

He brings us the word for the day, which is parsimony.  For a long time, I pronounced it "par sim o nee".  It sounded like an herb.  Dictionary.com defines parsimony: 

parsimony (ˈpɑːsɪmənɪ)
— n
	extreme care or reluctance in spending; frugality; niggardliness
[C15: from Latin parcimōnia, from parcere to spare] Once upon a time I would have thought this word only had negative connotations.  It seemed to epitomize the grumpy, shrivelled, old miser.  It loomed large like a crotchety Dicken's character.  But is it really that bad?  Quickly, thing back to your most recent purchase.  Did you really need it?  Thing back to the last thing you really wanted.  Once possessed did it lose some of it's charm?  Did a new thing, a new object of desire take its place? Your Money or Your Life, Vicki Robin and Joe Domenguez, co-wrote a very insightful book that tackles our misconceptions about money and success.  I suspect we've been giving parsimony a lot of bad press over the years. "Goodbye, Mr. Scrooge.  Hello, Life!"